Even 2,000 miles away, Jolyna Lamar is still following in her family’s footsteps.

The freshman outfielder secured the nine spot in UCLA softball’s batting order this season and has patrolled center field.

“She’s earned it. She straight earned it,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “She’s come off the bench, and she’s put herself in a position to have quality at-bats and game changing at-bats, and it’s no surprise.”

She is hitting at a .337 batting average across 101 at-bats, along with notching 34 hits, 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 37 runs scored. Meanwhile, Lamar has 43 putouts in center field and is the only starting Bruin with zero errors this season.

Her mom, Marissa Young – who played college softball at Michigan and was named an NFCA All-American three times – has helmed Duke softball for over a decade as the head coach. And Lamar’s older sister, Layla Lamar, plays for her.

But when it came to Jolyna Lamar’s commitment to college softball, she chose UCLA.

Jolyna said she had thought about Duke, but ultimately felt spreading her wings out west would help her establish her own identity. UCLA proved to be an attractive landing spot.

“UCLA is a championship culture, and I knew that I would be pushed here, and that the coaches would get me to be the best version of me,” Jolyna Lamar said. “The coaches literally are perfect in every way. They help me, not only as a softball player, but also as a person, and always there for me, helping me grow.”

While she may not be surrounded by family on the West Coast, she still feels their influence.

Her family is full of athletes, with nearly every member having played collegiate sports. Once she knew which sport was for her, playing in college was a goal.

Inouye-Perez said Jolyna Lamar’s family shaped her softball understanding.

“We know that she has awareness of the bigger picture of the game because both her parents are coaches, and her sister is another higher level player,” Inouye-Perez said. “They talk the game, and she’s seen it, and she’s aware, and she’s been raised by coaches.”

That stands out in how Jolyna Lamar approaches the game.

“The biggest thing about her is she’s been raised with a high standard, so there’s nothing that’s too hard. She understands when she falls short and she wants to make an adjustment,” Inouye-Perez said. “The way she plays and goes about it, there is an adjustability, there’s accountability, but the standard is very, very high, and that’s something that started with her family.”

Jolyna Lamar has quickly adapted to the nine-hole spot after missing most of fall training. Her home-run ability is unusual for that place in the lineup, but it has proved an asset on a Bruin roster that is second in the country in home runs this season with 163.

She has also helped turn over the lineup to the top of the order, earning quality at-bats and showing her adaptability, Inouye-Perez said,.

Jolyna Lamar said her understanding of the coaching side of the sport is unique.

“I definitely understand the coaching aspect of the game as well, not just the player point of view,” Jolyna Lamar said. “That allows me to be able to really see the bigger picture in the score and be able to understand playing for the team and wanting what’s best for our team culture and our team success, rather than just focusing on myself.”

Although Jolyna Lamar is far from her family, what she has learned from them is essential to her identity on the diamond.

Inouye-Perez said Jolyna Lamar’s decision to come to UCLA was not just about stepping out of her comfort zone while being pushed.

It is about getting it done on the field.

“She didn’t come across the country just to be a Bruin,” Inouye-Perez said. “She wants to play.”